Ice-cutting apparatus.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

F. B. CLARK. ICE CUTTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION IILBD MAY 20, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR i IY a 3 W4 ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

F. B. CLARK.

ICE CUTTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOAIYION rum) MAY 20, 1905.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR fir M 6.6M

WITNESSES BY WWW- ATTOR NEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK B. CLARK, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT,'ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS A. WESTON, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ICE-CUTTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 80, 1908.

Application filed May 20,. 1905. Serial No. 261,448.

residing in Stamford, in the county of Fair-' field, in the State of Connecticut, have invented an Improved lce-Cutting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of icecutting devices in which the cutting or penetrating action is a meltingprocess due to heat supplied internally to the cutting memher by a current of steam or other suitable heat conveying means.

The apparatus is particularly intended for use in plants for the artificial manufacture of ice by the ammonia or other process.

' The'object of my invention is to provide a more 1 rapid, economical and effective icecutting device thanheretofore known,

whereby Inot only save time and cost in the process ofcutting, subdividing and removmg the mass of'ioe iormed in a freezing tank but consequence of such increased speed of removal, or harvesting of the ice, I make it unnecessary by means of my invention, at any time to shut off theammoma or the flow ofbrihe to the freezing coils, whereby the normal effectivefreezing temperature is contmually' maintained and said freezing ELCiZlOIf is immediately resumed upon the removal of the 'blockicefrom the said coils, with the ensuing advantage of a corresponding increasefin-thetotal output or yield of block ice produced.

l former performed-its work or cutting function upon one sideonly of the vertical series of parallel membersfof a freezing "coil at one and the same time or same cut, leaving the ice upon the other side of the said 'coil' untouched; Whereas by means of my invention of a twopart or duplex ice cutter, Which=straddles the coil-l.operated. upon, the block ice is cut simultaneously from both sides of the said coil at one downward .movem'ent thereof.-

The increased speed'in cutting'ice from the coilspermits the latter to be kept uninter-' ruptedl y attheir normal freezing temperature. he freezing or ice making periods are therefore lengthened, and the interruptions thereto madeshorter by means of myinvention. The cutting member in prior con structi'onshas been provided with an internally heated tube, and with a suitable frame uniting all the parts,by the gravity of which devices of this class the cutter cutter frame the heated cutting tubes are pressed downwards through the block ice. I provide a traveling frame to support the cutter frame to bring it into proper position over the different series of freezin coils in the tanks successively, to guide t e cutter frame truly as it gravitates downwards through the ice on opposite sides of a freezing coil. I also provide the thus vertically guided cutter frame with hoistin means to raise it again, after it has per ormed its cutting function.

' In the accompan ing drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section t rough yimproved apparatus on the line 11, Fi 2 and 3; Fig. 2 1s a plan view, with part bro en awa Fig. 3 is a side elevation; and Fig. 4 is aview of 21 art of one of the cutters drawn to an enarged scale. I

As an example by Way of illustration, I show my duplex cutter in the drawings, so constructed as to make five separate transverse cuts (Figs. 2 and 3) simultaneously u on each side of a freezing coil R (Fig. 1) W, iereby eight separate blocks of icefour on each side of the coil-are embraced within the base of the cutter frame and out free from the coil ready for removal. Of course any other number of, blocks of ice may be separated from the coil simultaneously by an adequate increase in the length of the apparatus and in the number of the cutting members, or an apparatus can be made embracing a single ice block only, upon each side of the CO1 In the drawings the traveling frame or carriage A is shown as consisting mainly of two end plates 2 united by four longitudinal channel beams 11, the two upper ones of which are braced to each other by three transverse I-beams 112, while at the bottom the two end plates 2 are further united by the central I-beam 13. A tie bar 8 extends from end plate to end plate, into which bar are secured at their up er ends, the six vertical guide rods 3, their bottom ends being secured to the I-beam 13. The traveler also carries any convenient form of hoisting gear, whereby to-lift the cutter frame or allow it to descend, as for example by the chain drums 14,

the shaft 15, gears 16, and cranks 17. The

carriage is shown as mounted upon rollers 18,

so that it can be readily traversed longitudinally over the tank T containing the transverse freezing coils.

' The duplex cutter frame consists mainly of the two ion itudinal top plates B, B, perfo rated to em race the six guide rods .3, which guide the cutter frame in its movement up or down. The top lates B are united to the backing plates 6%)GiOW, twelve vertical strips of metal filand by ten transversexertis' cal strips 5.

The pipe system whereby to convey steam to and from the tubes at the. lower edges of the backing plates 6 and ii consists of the two steam'mam'sor headersg; connecting with the six vertical supply pipes 4, these latter connecting with the eight ion gitudinal cutting tubes 7 and the ten trans' verse ones 7 Thes'aidedge tubes 7',- 7

so that either member can lag behind or cutin advance of the other without one delaying or cramping the other as they descend through the block of ice. I prefer to make the heated tubes of less transverse thickness than the backing plates carrying them but this feature-form's no part of my present invention. 1

I claim as my invention 1 In heated ice-cutting apparatus; the combination of aguiding frame with two heated tube cutting frames vertically guided thereon adapted to cut the ice simultaneously from opposite sides of a freezing coil.

2, In heated ice-cutting apparatus, the combination of azguiding frame with two pendent vertical, movement thereon and adapted to cutsimultaneously the ice from opposite sid'esof a freezin co' p Y. 3. The combination 0 a ireezingftank, having a series of fieesing coils with a-travcling frame-ads, ted to be traversed over the tankgtwoheate' ice-cuttersverticallyguided on said frame-sand adapted tobe loweredsimultaneously freezing coils; I

, i.- A freezin' tank withtransverse freezing coils in com ination with a frame extend over. opposite sides ef the;

l penetrating edges.

ceases -with tubulhrpenetrating edges, a steam feed, pipe connected with one end of the tubular penetratin edges-and an exhaust (pipe con nected- -with the other end of sai tubular 5. A freezing tank with transverse freezing coils, in combination with a frame extending across the tank and mounted onrollers to be traversed longitudinally'over the tank, and two sets-of heated cutters vertically guided in said frame to cut the ice simultaneously from o posits sides of each freezing coil.

v 6. l r a machine for cutting. p ate ice, a frame, opposing independent cutters having sliding movement in the frame, a space intervening them, and means for raising the said cutters and pennitting themto drop by gravity, whereby the said cutters are capable of simultaneousoperation at each side of the freezing coil.

j V '7. in" a machine for cutting pl'ate ice, a

wheel-supported frame, cutters having uided vertical movement in the said frame, t c said cutters being-opposite one another, a space intervening them, tubular penetrating edges for the cutters,means for supplying steam to the said tubular penetrating edges, means for exhausting the steam therefrom, and devices for independently raising the cutters,.

permitting the ciitters to drop by gravity uring the operation of cutting, whereby the. cutters are capable of operating simultaneously at each side of a freezing coil.

8. In an ice cutting machine, a support and a plurality of heated cutters having vertical and guided movement in thesupport and adapted to. cut. the ice simultaneously from opposite sides of a'freezing coil. heated tube cutting frames free to have inde- 9. In. an ice cutting machine, a frame, a plurality of cutters having independent vertical and guided movementin the frame and each having-a hollow penetrating edge, and means for admitting a heating medium to said penetrating edges.

'Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

FREDERICK B. CLARK. Witnesses:

HARRY S. D LAND, LJD. RHINEHART. 

